This invention relates generally to hand-held impact devices, and more particularly to hand-held impact devices for gaining entry to locked or barricaded structures.
There is often a need for authorized personnel to rapidly gain access to locked, barricaded or otherwise secured buildings and to damaged structures, particularly in response to illegal activity or an emergency. Portable, hand-held forcible entry devices have been developed that enable law enforcement and emergency personnel to forcibly open a locked or fortified door, barricaded passage, damaged structure, or any other barrier that requires the use of force to gain access to a building or structure.
A typical forcible entry device comprises a piston-driven striker housed within a generally cylindrical case. The end of the striker extends from the front end of the case. A modified, conventional firearm is secured to the other end of the case for discharging the forcible entry device. The modified firearm fires a blank cartridge or other explosive charge which generates a combustion gas for driving the piston-driven striker outwardly of the housing to produce an extreme percussive force. In use, the striker is placed against a target object, such as a locked or barricaded door or damaged structure, and the firearm is fired. The striker extends from the front end of the case with great force and impacts the target object for breaking through the door or structure.
A problem with conventional forcible entry devices is the recoil generated when the device is fired due to the large force necessary to drive the striker. The recoil makes the device difficult for the user to hold and to control in use. Another problem with using forcible entry devices occurs when the target object offers little resistance to the striker. The force generated by the high velocity extension of the striker results in “forward” recoil wherein the device jerks forward in the user's hands. Forward recoil is also a problem when the devices are “dry fired”, that is, fired when the striker does not impact a target object.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a new impact generating device for use in forcible entry of locked or damaged structure which is recoilless. The new device should be recoilless in the traditional sense and minimize forward recoil in the case of soft target objects or dry firing. Ideally, the new impact device should also be compact and lightweight, and thus portable enough to be rapidly positioned and deployed to gain access to a structure without the need for an external power source.